SINGAPORE: A man was fined S$2,500 by a court on Wednesday (Oct 19) for abandoning his pet cat by leaving it at a lift lobby in Bukit Batok.
Lau Wai Hung, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of breaching his duty of care as an animal owner by permanently abandoning a British Shorthair cat named Bao Bao.
The court heard that the cat was found abandoned at the void deck of Block 624, Bukit Batok Central on Sep 6, 2021.
It was left there with food, water and a handwritten note in English and Chinese stating the name of the cat, breed and health status. It also stated: “Cannot continue to care due to personal issues”.
The cat was taken in by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and found to be in good physical condition, without any welfare concerns.
Lau, who lived a few blocks away, was identified as the owner of the cat through investigations.
In his statement, he admitted placing Bao Bao in a bag and leaving it near the lift lobby before going out for lunch.
Lau was represented by lawyer Chung Ting Fai. In his mitigation, Lau apologised and said it was his mistake, saying he did not know his act was illegal in Singapore.
Lau said that he migrated to Singapore from Hong Kong in November 2019. He bought Bao Bao in Hong Kong when the cat was two months old and lived with it for more than three years.
However, after he moved to Singapore, the cat began attacking his other cat and pet dog. The attacks started from May 2021 and went on for three months.
“So, I did the mistake and (made the) wrong decision to leave him at the lift lobby near … my home,” said Lau.
He said he could see the lobby from his window, and said it was to let him “cool down”. He also indicated the cat’s name to let other people know Bao Bao was not a wild cat.
“I really regret my stupid behaviour,” said Lau.
For abandoning his cat, he could have been jailed for up to a year, fined up to S$10,000, or both.